Joy isn’t a luxury, it’s a strategy: As ADHD-ish host, Diann Wingert, and today’s guest, Dr. Alexis Hope, agree—joy needs to be intentionally built into our routines and workspaces.

Rather than waiting for motivation, seek and design pockets of joy to unlock creativity and productivity. Social connection is powerful dopamine:

For Alexis Hope, sharing small wins, positive feedback, and a sense of community at Focus Space transforms even mundane tasks into meaningful, motivating experiences.

According to the philosopher, Spinoza, joy has “sharp edges”: Joy isn’t about ignoring challenges or “just being happy.” As Alexis Hope shares, it’s about cultivating the capacity to act—and can coexist with struggle. Even during tough times, intentionally seeking joy helps us stay engaged and resilient.

Whether you identify as neurodivergent or just want more purpose in your day-to-day, this conversation is a must-listen. Bring more joy into your work—your brain (and business) will thank you.

You’ll discover:

1. Why joy isn’t optional for neurodivergent/neurospicy brains
2. Neuroscience behind task initiation and real talk about dopamine
3. Smart practices for remote work, creative teams, and fighting burnout
4. Permission to collect ideas, objects, and “joy units”—no shame, just inspiration
5. Why “play” isn’t just for kids and how adult creativity is more essential than ever

Get ready to shake off the “just be happy” platitudes and find out what it really takes to keep your momentum and your mood up—especially when the work gets hard.

About Our Guest

Alexis Hope, PhD, is a designer, musician, and organizer whose work focuses on creating playful experiences that help people find joy, self-compassion, and connection with others.

She received her PhD at the MIT Media Lab in 2021. As a designer, she has worked on projects across a variety of domains, including cameras for deep-sea exploration, creative learning technologies for children, artistic tools for zero-gravity environments in orbit, low-cost ultrasound machines for prenatal care in areas with limited resources, and more.

Alexis is co-founder and head of product at Focused Space, a technology company that provides the building blocks for a productive and fulfilling day, helping people cut through the noise and accomplish their goals through the power of “body doubling.” Alexis loves collecting, curating, and creating community, wherever her neurospicy curiosity takes her, and calls the beautiful city of Seattle home.

Connect with Alexis Hope, PhD - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexishopeg/

About the Host

Diann Wingert brings decades of experience as a psychotherapist and now a sought-after coach to entrepreneurs with ADHD traits. Her style is direct, strategic, and always honest—peppered with the insight of someone who lives and breathes the neurodivergent experience.

Known for her candor and her refusal to compromise on what matters, Diann Wingert is a fierce advocate for self-acceptance and meaningful growth at the intersection of neurodivergence and entrepreneurship.

Mentioned during this interview:

Spinoza’s philosophy on happiness vs joy:

If you have ADHD, you may find yourself constantly playing catch-up on commitments—forgetting promises made in a flurry of good intentions.

Promises made in the car, at a networking lunch, in a Zoom chat, or even running into someone at Target, all exist in separate universes—voice memos, post-its, texts—but rarely make it into your actual task system.

This isn’t just about a single “dropped ball.” It’s juggling 17 balls in six places with zero strategy—a hallmark of ADHD’s impact on executive function. And these follow-up fumbles aren’t just inconvenient; they can chip away at your credibility and your self-trust.

Six Reasons Why ADHD Brains Fumble on Follow-Throughs

1. Impulsive Generosity: ADHD brains crave the dopamine hit of being helpful. Before thinking through whether a promise can be fulfilled, we say “Yes!”—and mean it—without considering bandwidth or logistics.
2. Working Memory Deficits: As explained in Episode #299, ADHD reduces how many mental “sticky notes” you can hold. A neurotypical person might juggle seven or eight promises; with ADHD, it’s three or four. Most commitments simply never get “filed.”
3. Time Blindness: The moment feels manageable (“I’ll send it later today!”), but later is swallowed by whatever fires need putting out, leaving the commitment lost in time.
4. Context Fragmentation: Commitments happen everywhere—car, coffee shop, Zoom, networking lunches—but task management systems live in one place. ADHD brains struggle to bridge that gap.
5. Object Permanence Issues: Out of sight, out of mind. That voice memo recorded in the car vanishes from mental view once you sit at your desk.
6. The Shame Spiral: When forgotten commitments resurface—often at 2 AM—shame and avoidance kick in. Some people even ghost contacts out of embarrassment.

Fixing the Fumbles: The 3 Stage Follow-Through Filter

Stage 1: Before You Promise—Hit Pause

Stop defaulting to “Yes.” Try the 3-second rule: pause and ask yourself, “Can I do this in the next two minutes, or do I need a system?” If not, set a realistic timeline and use a pre-memorized script to acknowledge the request and buy yourself time (“Let me check my bandwidth and follow up by Friday”). This small delay protects you from impulsive overcommitment. Episode #297 is all about ADHD overcompensating, so check it out here.

Stage 2: During—Context-Specific Capture Systems

Don’t rely on a single capture tool. Customize your approach for the context:

1. Driving/Traveling: Use voice memos—with all details, not just “email Sarah.” Set a reminder to process them at your desk.
2. Video Calls: Use chat features in real time, or review AI-powered transcripts the same day.
3. In-Person Meetings: Use your phone’s notes app, or even a physical notebook (but only if you have a consolidation ritual).

Welcome to a milestone episode of ADHD-ish! In episode 300, host Diann Wingert invites listeners into a raw, unfiltered conversation about the realities of entrepreneurship with ADHD.

Rather than a feel-good celebration, this episode delivers the hard truths that other neurodivergent entrepreneurs need to hear—no sugar-coating, no apologies, just authentic wisdom earned through real-world experience.

If you’re ready for tangible insight (and a few uncomfortable truths), this is your episode.

Here are the 3 Hard Truths Every Entrepreneur with ADHD Needs to Hear:

Your self-doubt isn’t wisdom—it’s unaddressed trauma.

That overthinking, need for certainty, and analysis paralysis? It’s not you being “strategic”—it’s the residue of years spent feeling “not enough.” The real challenge is rebuilding self-trust so you can act boldly, even if you’re terrified of being wrong.

There’s no magic pill or “perfect” system.

Stop believing the next planner, project management tool, or “ADHD-friendly” hack will make entrepreneurship comfortable. Success means tolerating discomfort, not shopping for something to eliminate it.

ADHD is not your get-out-of-jail-free card.

Acceptance isn’t hiding behind your diagnosis—it's doing the tough, creative work to adapt and grow. “I have ADHD, so I need to figure out how to do this differently” is where real progress begins.

Zero F*cks Given:

To “fulfilling my potential” (an ever-moving target designed to keep you feeling not enough).

To being “too niched” (connection and impact mean more than pleasing the masses).

to ADHD diagnosis gatekeeping (if this content helps and you see yourself here, you belong).

What I WON’T apologize for:

1. Being unmasked and openly ADHD.
2. Holding ADHD coaches to real standards.
3. Being selective about coaching clients (it’s about the right fit—not the right paycheck).

The bottom line? Consistency doesn’t come from trying to “fix” yourself—it comes from radical self-acceptance, messy action, and getting honest about what really stops you.

If you’ve been waiting for the “right” moment, the perfect plan, or permission, the only way to get clarity is to take action.

About the Host

Diann Wingert brings decades of experience as a psychotherapist and now a sought-after coach to entrepreneurs with ADHD traits. Her style is direct, strategic, and always honest—peppered with the insight of someone who lives and breathes the neurodivergent experience.

Known for her candor and her refusal to compromise on what matters, Diann Wingert is a fierce advocate for self-acceptance and meaningful growth at the intersection of neurodivergence and entrepreneurship.

If this episode inspired or challenged you, Diann wants to hear about it! Links to several ways to let her know are right here:

Leave a review and let Diann know what resonated, challenged, or inspired you.

Send Diann an email, DM her on LInkedIn or